Ambasada Gavioli
Encyclopedia
The Ambasada Gavioli is a Slovenia
n night club located in Izola
, and named after its architect Mr. Gavioli. It has a floor space of 1,600 m2 and a capacity of 2,500 guests.
The project is inspired from literature, theatre, cinema and fashion. Some themes include Italian baroque
with Juliet's balcony and the Baudelaire's Evil Flowers. The architecture of the club is divided in two floors: wider main room and smaller, more intimate privee', which are connected with a glass wall, that allow visual and programming contact of rooms.
The Ambasada Gavioli uses different materials like wood
, white stone and copper
, combined in a Mediterranean style.
The music
of Ambasada Gavioli is bases on a combination of several modern directions in club music, like clubbing techno futurism and modern house.
The music is played by international DJs residents and other artists. These include Supa DJ Dmitry (from Deee-Lite
), Tiësto
(Netherlands), Sven Väth
(Frankfurt), Marshall Jefferson
(Chicago), Laurent Garnier
(Paris), Richie Hawtin
(Canada), Jeff Mills
(Detroit), Takkyū Ishino
(Tokyo), Westbam
(Berlin), Boris Dlugosch
(Germany) among others and last but not least DJ Umek.
, learning about its culture, architecture and legends while meeting with locals from various generations in the area. In 1994 works began on what developed to be the maestro’s life masterpiece, combining feel of the local cultures with stories of Jean Baudelaire, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet. Due to its significance, the IRWIN
artist group, part of Neue Slowenische Kunst
movement, suggested the name of the new venue to be Ambasada Gavioli (Embassy of Gavioli). The new entertainment complex opened in December 1995.
Despite the initial optimism, based on fast development of independent Slovenia
as an emerging cultural and economic power in the region as well as on the overall faith in positive future emerging from the global Rave
movement at the time, the venue did not attract as much audience as expected from the start. 1996 thus represented a year of initial struggle for Ambasada Gavioli.
Hard work and structural reorganization eventually started to attract attention of various cultural circles, national and international media and attracting ever wider audiences, resulting in Ambasada Gavioli already becoming recognized as one of world’s top 10 most prestigious and trendy electronic music venues in 1997 and one of top clubbing destinations in Mediterranean Europe.
or a Temporary Autonomous Zone
. He practised neuromancy, divination in the form of a graphic Koans. The AG management used to receive weekly ideological feeds from Chiron Morpheus, which were used as flyers and repurposed in the club’s programming by Valentino Kanzyani
’s AG Music Direction department, MC Flasher
’s AG Performance & Outreach division and Denis Papic’s AG Ministry of Information.
In 1998, the IRWIN
group introduced the official flag of Ambasada Gavioli as a visual manifestation of its temporary state ideology
. The flag consisted of a golden and black field with five stars in circle – two black stars on golden background, two golden stars on black background and a star of both oppositional colours connecting both fields.
From second half of 1999, the ideological aspect of Ambasada Gavioli has mostly been maintained by MC Flasher, which after his Canadian relocation in 2000 evolved into the Final Flash series and the division morphed into the Final Flash Association.
Through the years, the territory and/or the venue of Ambasada Gavioli has been also regarded as Embassy of 3rd Europe, The Cathedral of Luxurious Colours (also “Ambassada dei mille colori” in Italian).
Since 2005, the ideological aspect of Ambasada Gavioli has mostly been abandoned, thus bringing it closer to a concept of a more commercial discotheque.
community in Slovenia
, Northern Italy
, Southern Austria
and North-West Croatia
, achieving almost a cult following
appeal in the scene.
In the cultural context many people see the venue and the movement it created as a display of new cultural strength of the independent Slovenia.
The club was also intensely famed by the media due to its edgy provocative image, which has been carefully maintained by its Public Relations
department, further reinforcing its futuristic cult-like appeal.
In 2010 Fetch The Vibe organisation re-opened Ambasada Gavioli in a glorious manner with Oldies-Goldies party, featuring two of Ambasada's first and most famous ambassadors Umek
and Valentino Kanzyani
. Maybe the future for Ambasada is looking brighter with the new management and hopefully the cult will evolve and continue.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n night club located in Izola
Izola
Izola is an old fishing city and a municipality in southwestern Slovenia on the Adriatic coast of the Istrian peninsula. Its name originates from the Italian Isola, which means island.- History :...
, and named after its architect Mr. Gavioli. It has a floor space of 1,600 m2 and a capacity of 2,500 guests.
The project is inspired from literature, theatre, cinema and fashion. Some themes include Italian baroque
Italian Baroque
Italian Baroque is a term referring to a stylistic period in Italian history and art which spanned from the late 16th century to the early 18th century.-History:...
with Juliet's balcony and the Baudelaire's Evil Flowers. The architecture of the club is divided in two floors: wider main room and smaller, more intimate privee', which are connected with a glass wall, that allow visual and programming contact of rooms.
The Ambasada Gavioli uses different materials like wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, white stone and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, combined in a Mediterranean style.
The music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of Ambasada Gavioli is bases on a combination of several modern directions in club music, like clubbing techno futurism and modern house.
The music is played by international DJs residents and other artists. These include Supa DJ Dmitry (from Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite was an American house and club/dance group, formed in New York City, United States. The group's best-known single was "Groove Is in the Heart", from their 1990 debut album, World Clique. However, Deee-Lite achieved longer lasting success on the U.S...
), Tiësto
Tiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
(Netherlands), Sven Väth
Sven Väth
Sven Väth is a Frankfurt-based DJ who has produced an extensive range of work since his career began in 1982. From 1985, he was part of the band OFF which released the hit "Electrica Salsa" in 1986...
(Frankfurt), Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Jefferson is an American musician, working in house music, in particular, the subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.-Biography:...
(Chicago), Laurent Garnier
Laurent Garnier
Laurent Garnier , is a French techno music producer and DJ. Garnier began DJ-ing in Manchester during the late 1980s. By the following decade, he had a broad stylistic range, able to span deep house, Detroit techno, trance and jazz...
(Paris), Richie Hawtin
Richie Hawtin
Richard Hawtin is an English-Canadian electronic musician and DJ who was an influential part of Detroit techno's second wave of artists in the early 1990s and a leading exponent of Minimal techno since the mid 1990s...
(Canada), Jeff Mills
Jeff Mills
Jeff Mills is an American techno DJ and producer.-Career:Starting in the early 1980s, Mills, using the name "The Wizard", was a recurring guest DJ on "The Electrifying Mojo" radio show on WJLB...
(Detroit), Takkyū Ishino
Takkyu Ishino
, born December 26, 1967 in Shizuoka, Japan, is a Japanese composer and music producer. He is a member of the technopop group Denki Groove.- Singles :* anna - letmein letmeout （1999）* Stereo Nights （2001）* Takbam （2001）...
(Tokyo), Westbam
WestBam
WestBam, real name Maximilian Lenz , is techno DJs in Germany. His brother is Fabian Lenz, also known as DJ Dick....
(Berlin), Boris Dlugosch
Boris Dlugosch
Boris Dlugosch is a house music producer from Germany. Boris is usually known for funky/deep house tracks, mostly produced in conjunction with Mousse T. and Michi Lange, his partners in the Peppermint Jam Records label....
(Germany) among others and last but not least DJ Umek.
History
In early 1990s, a group of young Slovenian businessmen, operating under a name of Evolution Inc. decided to sell all their business assets, get international loans and invest in what was anticipated to become a trans-national chain of dance entertainment complexes of the future. As opposed to other similar projects in the world at the time, this one was approached heavily from a cultural point of view, rather than purely commercial. A well known Italian architect maestro Gianni Gavioli has been invited to collaborate on the development. Before the first sketches were laid down, the architect has spent over a month in Slovenian IstriaIstria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
, learning about its culture, architecture and legends while meeting with locals from various generations in the area. In 1994 works began on what developed to be the maestro’s life masterpiece, combining feel of the local cultures with stories of Jean Baudelaire, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet. Due to its significance, the IRWIN
IRWIN
IRWIN is a collective of Slovenian artists, primarily painters, and an original founding member of Neue Slowenische Kunst .- History :In 1983, the artists Dušan Mandič, Miran Mohar, Andrej Savski, Roman Uranjek, and Borut Vogelnik, coming from the punk and graffiti scene in Ljubljana, formed an...
artist group, part of Neue Slowenische Kunst
Neue Slowenische Kunst
Neue Slowenische Kunst , aka NSK, is a controversial political art collective that announced itself in Slovenia in 1984, when Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia. NSK's name, being German, is compatible with a theme in NSK works: the complicated relationship Slovenes have had with Germans...
movement, suggested the name of the new venue to be Ambasada Gavioli (Embassy of Gavioli). The new entertainment complex opened in December 1995.
Despite the initial optimism, based on fast development of independent Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
as an emerging cultural and economic power in the region as well as on the overall faith in positive future emerging from the global Rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
movement at the time, the venue did not attract as much audience as expected from the start. 1996 thus represented a year of initial struggle for Ambasada Gavioli.
Hard work and structural reorganization eventually started to attract attention of various cultural circles, national and international media and attracting ever wider audiences, resulting in Ambasada Gavioli already becoming recognized as one of world’s top 10 most prestigious and trendy electronic music venues in 1997 and one of top clubbing destinations in Mediterranean Europe.
Ideological Structure
Ambasada Gavioli has been operating according to the neuropolitan teachings of part-time prophet and ravelutionary Chiron Morpheus. He proclaimed AG as the Cathedral of Avant-Pop and a Portal to elusive territory of the Ravelutionary haven of a Pirate UtopiaPirate utopia
Pirate utopias were described by anarchist writer Peter Lamborn Wilson in his 1995 book Pirate Utopias: Moorish Corsairs & European Renegadoes as secret islands once used for supply purposes by pirates...
or a Temporary Autonomous Zone
Temporary Autonomous Zone
T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism is a book by anarchist writer Hakim Bey published in 1991 by Autonomedia...
. He practised neuromancy, divination in the form of a graphic Koans. The AG management used to receive weekly ideological feeds from Chiron Morpheus, which were used as flyers and repurposed in the club’s programming by Valentino Kanzyani
Valentino Kanzyani
Tine Kocjančič, better known as Valentino Kanzyani is a Slovenian techno deejay and music producer. He has also released records under the name Recycled Loops, which is also the name of one of the record labels that he co-runs , the other being Earresistable.He became famous in Slovenia, when he...
’s AG Music Direction department, MC Flasher
MC Flasher
MC Flasher is the Electronic music persona of Slovenian-Canadian performance artist Simon Pribac.As a long time resident and art director of Slovenia's most famed club Ambasada Gavioli, MC FLASHER has been the developer of new wave techno MC-ing and the creator of Ambasada's ideological structure...
’s AG Performance & Outreach division and Denis Papic’s AG Ministry of Information.
In 1998, the IRWIN
IRWIN
IRWIN is a collective of Slovenian artists, primarily painters, and an original founding member of Neue Slowenische Kunst .- History :In 1983, the artists Dušan Mandič, Miran Mohar, Andrej Savski, Roman Uranjek, and Borut Vogelnik, coming from the punk and graffiti scene in Ljubljana, formed an...
group introduced the official flag of Ambasada Gavioli as a visual manifestation of its temporary state ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
. The flag consisted of a golden and black field with five stars in circle – two black stars on golden background, two golden stars on black background and a star of both oppositional colours connecting both fields.
From second half of 1999, the ideological aspect of Ambasada Gavioli has mostly been maintained by MC Flasher, which after his Canadian relocation in 2000 evolved into the Final Flash series and the division morphed into the Final Flash Association.
Through the years, the territory and/or the venue of Ambasada Gavioli has been also regarded as Embassy of 3rd Europe, The Cathedral of Luxurious Colours (also “Ambassada dei mille colori” in Italian).
Since 2005, the ideological aspect of Ambasada Gavioli has mostly been abandoned, thus bringing it closer to a concept of a more commercial discotheque.
Cult Following
Since 1995 when it opened, Ambasada Gavioli has become the focal point of the Electronic musicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
community in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
, Southern Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and North-West Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, achieving almost a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
appeal in the scene.
In the cultural context many people see the venue and the movement it created as a display of new cultural strength of the independent Slovenia.
The club was also intensely famed by the media due to its edgy provocative image, which has been carefully maintained by its Public Relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
department, further reinforcing its futuristic cult-like appeal.
Ownership and Management
Originally owned and managed by a share-holders corporation, Evolution Inc., the management of the club was later occasionally shifted to the Final Flash Association for the Final Flash festival and later to Ultimed Music business partnership on a full time lease since 2005. Evolution Inc. still remained the sole legal owner of the property. In August 2008 a part of the club's premises was sold to Slovenian biggest merchanising company Mercator. The club continued to host events until December 31, 2008. After that the destiny of Ambasada Gavioli remained unknown.In 2010 Fetch The Vibe organisation re-opened Ambasada Gavioli in a glorious manner with Oldies-Goldies party, featuring two of Ambasada's first and most famous ambassadors Umek
DJ Umek
Uroš Umek is an internationally acclaimed DJ and music producer from Slovenia, author of more than 500 releases for world renown record labels such as Renaissance, Armada, Cocoon Records, Audiomatique, Hell Yeah, Tronic, Datapunk amidst many others...
and Valentino Kanzyani
Valentino Kanzyani
Tine Kocjančič, better known as Valentino Kanzyani is a Slovenian techno deejay and music producer. He has also released records under the name Recycled Loops, which is also the name of one of the record labels that he co-runs , the other being Earresistable.He became famous in Slovenia, when he...
. Maybe the future for Ambasada is looking brighter with the new management and hopefully the cult will evolve and continue.